The Life of a Chef
by janefan13
Summary: Sequel to 'The Life of a Knight', set twelve years afterward. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note****: Telling you what has happened in the twelve years since "The Life of a Knight", nothing big. Will be adding more soon! Please review!**

Jane sat at a table in Pepper and Rake's inn until Pepper's duties slowed. "It's good to see you, Pepper."

"And you too, Jane. I'm glad to see you got away on your day off."

"Yes, though I suppose I have not been visiting very much, even though Jester and I have a house in town."

"It's to be understood. When I had my first few little ones, I was very busy."

"But the difference is, Pepper, You have had twin Girls _four _times, one set of _triplets_, and a boy. I only have a son and a daughter."

"Parenthood is parenthood, no matter how many children."

"Yes, but being a knight complicates things. _Jester_ finds himself with the children more than I do."

"That may be a bit strange, all things considered, but what about you is normal. Oh, and did you hear that Gunther has settled down?" A guest appeared at the door of the inn, so Pepper had to momentarily leave, but when she returned, she saw the surprise on her good friend's face.

"I had not heard. So, the old bog weevil finally settled down?"

"Yes, but I do not think he ever got over you."

"Why do you say that?"

"The lass is almost identical to you, only in a dress!"

The two continued to talk such, occasionally interrupted by guests, until mid-morning. Jane then took her leave, and headed to her home with Jester.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Yay! Plotline! little more grown up than 'The Life of a Knight'. Children, avert your eyes!**

Pepper was in her kitchen, preparing lunch for her guests and family. She heard giggles coming down the steps and sighed at her children. She then lifted up her spoon, and in her most demanding voice said, "Where do you think you're going, Autumn, Summer, Winter, Spring, Lily, Daisy, Petunia, Rose, and Drake?!" She listed the names of nine of her children, aged 12, 12, 11, 11, 9, 9, 8, 8, and 7.

The nine children chorused, "Nowhere!"

"Autumn, nowhere wouldn't by the Smith's forge, Summer, nowhere wouldn't be the Bakery, Winter, nowhere wouldn't be the Castle Practice yard, and Spring, nowhere wouldn't be Aunt Jane's house, hmm? The rest of you run along, I'd like to talk to Autumn, Summer, Winter, and Spring." Five of her children scattered, and Pepper smiled when Drake went straight to Rake's garden. "Are any of you planning to marry the lads you want to visit?" Her daughter's blushed. "Well, get to it! Autumn, back by supper, Summer, back by sunset and bring a loaf of bread, here's some coin, Winter, back by lunch, and Spring, you may return whenever you wish as long as Aunty Jane is accompanying you." Her four eldest daughters scattered, much as the five youngest had, and Pepper smiled to see that her triplet ten-year-olds, Rosemary, Sage, and Spice, had stayed to help in the kitchen.

"Autumn will be fine, Pepper. She's just a little late to supper," Rake tried to comfort his wife, but he seemed to be failing.

"She is never late. Not once since John Smith Jr. began courting her, three years ago. Not once!"

"She can take care of herself."

"I am going to visit the Smiths. Put the little ones to bed. I will be home soon."

Rake looked concerned for his wife, but he trusted her judgment, as always.

Pepper tied a scarf around her head and set off. Most of the people were having dinner with their families, so the streets were fairly empty. Pepper walked with quick, brisk steps, searching the road for signs of her daughter. She finally arrived at the home of the Smiths, and knocked on the door.

"Hello, Verbena. What brings you here?"

"Rebecca, have you seen Autumn, she was late in coming home."

"No, not since she left our home two hours ago. Do you think something might have happened to her?"

Pepper pursed her face into a frown, and turned to leave.

"I hope you find her!" Rebecca Smith called out.

Pepper began to make her way back to her home, once again searching the streets for her daughter. She was beginning to get nervous, but she figured that Autumn might have been delayed along the way, and that she might be at home. Holding this in her heart, Pepper began to run like the wind to her home.

Pepper threw open the door when she arrived, and began to light some of the lamps. It was then that she heard a quiet sobbing coming from the steps. Pepper took hold of one of the lamps, and walked forward, toward the sound. As she drew closer, she knew that it was definitely Autumn crying. Autumn's skirt was ripped and torn, bruises covered her face, and her hair was disheveled. Tear tracks lined her face, completing the ghastly picture.

Pepper stepped forward, and in one quick motion, set down the lamp and gathered her daughter near to her. She rocked her back and forth, making comforting sounds and words, until her daughter gained some sense of composure.

"Mother?"

"It's okay, Autumn."

"Mother, I…"

"Shhh, I know."

"I was raped."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Here's the next chapter! Maybe a hint at Autumn's attacker? NAH!**

That morning, Pepper told Rosemary, Sage and Spice to handle the cooking, and the others to handle serving food. Pepper then set out for Jane's house, not far from her inn, with Autumn under her arm like a mother hen with a chick. Pepper hustled Autumn into the house. She was surprised to see Jester spoon feeding a two year old. Jester completed making his silly faces to have young Janet finish her breakfast and stood up.

"How may I help you two lovely ladies?" Jester executed a sweeping mock bow, falling at the end, much to the applause of Janet. He then, upon standing, noticed that Pepper's face did not show its normal, easy smile, but instead, a worried frown. "Is something wrong?"

"Where is Jane?" Pepper responded in answer.

"She is on patrol. Just a moment." Jester stepped outside, and began swirling something in the air. Soon, Dragon and Jane landed in the street.

"What is so important, Jester, that it required calling me from patrol?" Jane briefly glanced around, and noticed Pepper and Autumn.

"I do not know, Jane. Pepper wanted to see you."

"Well then, come Pepper, Autumn, we will go to the drawing room. Jester?"

"Busying myself while you three talk."

"Very good, follow me." Jane paraded them to her drawing room, at which point she sat down with a look on her face that matched Pepper's. "Is something wrong?"

"Last night, Autumn was walking home from the town Smith's house, not Smithy's, mind you, when, as she was walking, a man put a dagger against her neck and pulled her into an al-"

"That's enough. I feel I should tell you that three other people have come to me with similar stories. It seems that my being a lady knight means that I get all of such problems. I must also inform you that I am no closer to catching this man than I was weeks ago. Unless…"

"What?" inquired Pepper.

"Autumn, now you don't have to do this. I don't want you to feel any pressure, and I want to make this as painless as possible. But it might help if we could identify the type of blade used. You don't have to do this, but if you were able to tell me if it was the same kind of blade used, it might help. Do you think you could do that?" Autumn thought for a moment, and then slowly nodded yes. "Now, if at any point you feel it is too much tell me, and I will try to do so without this information." Jane stood up, and a few moments later returned with the largest dagger collection Pepper had ever seen, though that wasn't very many.

"Alright, now if you will stand, I will put each blade against your throat. I know what I am doing, and I won't let anything happen to you. Do you understand?" Autumn nodded. "Very good. Then let us begin."

The next hour or so was spent by Jane systematically putting each blade against Autumn's throat. Most mothers would be worried during something like this, but Jane and Pepper had complete trust in one another, even with the lives of each other's children. Finally, Autumn nodded that the blade at her throat was the same kind as that used by her attacker.

"Very good. Thank you for coming to me, and aiding me in my search. Pepper, you of course will be keeping a tighter hold on your eleven daughters."

"Of course. Thank you, Jane." Pepper and Autumn scurried back to the inn, and continued with the standard chores that the running of a business requires.

During the dinner service that night, it seemed that the crowd was especially rowdy. Pepper was not sure why, exactly, as it was the same people that ate with them every night, plus or minus a few travelers. Pepper was in the kitchen with Rosemary, Sage and Spice, her other daughters serving food, and her son taking care of the horses.

One of the newcomers seemed to be the cause of most of the rowdiness, and Rake was afraid that he might have to deal with it before too long. It seemed that too long had already come, as while Autumn was delivering another jug of mead, he grabbed her by the arm and whispered something in her ear.

Rake immediately marched up to this man, demanding he release Autumn.

"Why should you care if your serving wench is a whore, she probably brings you in some extra cash!" The rest of the men at the table laughed at this.

Rake then boiled over. This is something that barely ever happens, and should be feared when it does. "What would make you think that my _daughter_ is a whore?! Is it that she brings you drinks? Or that she does not protest to lewd comments in her presence? It does not matter! Because I want you to leave now! I no longer need your business! If you want a brothel, that's down the road and to your left, this is an upstanding, _family_ run inn where such a thing is unacceptable! Do you understand me?! Or do I need to involve some of my friends from up at the castle?!" If at any point in time, Rake's voice was less than a shout, I would be very surprised. Rake then turned to Autumn, who was crying, tried to comfort her, and then told her to go see her mother.

The men slowly left, muttering about how some men are too protective, under the scornful eye of Rake. The boisterous behavior ended immediately afterwards. In fact, it was one of the most orderly nights that the Green Dragon Inn had ever seen. That night, after all of the children were in bed, Pepper explained to Rake why it was particularly terrible that Autumn was the one in the middle of the 'incident' that night, and Rake went to bed that night, practically purple with anger.

**Author's Note****: I know, un-Rake-like behavior, but I would think that were any father to have his daughter 'propositioned' in front of him, he would get pretty P.O. Rake being no exception.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: If any of you have any questions about any of the character's behavior, review me telling me so or send me a PM. Please keep reviewing!**

"Jane, looking at it all night will not change what it is. If you want to be of any use to anyone, you need your sleep," Jester reminded Jane.

"Romulus," Jester's name, if you didn't know, "I just feel terrible. I've been searching for weeks, and still all that I know is that the bloody bastard used a bone knife." Jane looked at the knife, glittering white under the full moon.

"Despicable thing. Why do you keep it?" inquired Romulus.

"In case something like this happens, for the same reason I keep any other weapon than my own sword. The only good thing that ever came of this knife was bringing to justice the villain selling these things. Maybe something else will."

"Jane, I'm sure you will catch this man, as you caught the bone knife merchant, as you caught Magnus. You will catch him."

"I don't know, Romulus. Sometimes I think I'm losing my touch."

"It won't come back if you don't get any sleep." Jane laughed, tossed her hair, set the knife down, and went to sleep, still haunted by the ghost in the bone knife.

The next day, Rake stormed down to Jane's house, finding Jester making funny faces in front of Janet. "Where is Jane?"

"On patrol. I'll get her." Jester went outside and twirled something in the air. "She may be a moment. This wouldn't have anything to do with Pepper's visit yesterday, would it?"

Rake remained silent. "I know that you and I have not remained as close as Pepper and Jane, but you can still talk to me. After all, when Janet here is as old as some of your daughters, I may have some of the same problems." At about that moment, Dragon landed in the street.

"This better not keep happening, Jane. We haven't covered the entire kingdom once in two days." Dragon was complaining, until he saw Rake. "I think the Gardener is angry about something," Dragon attempted to whisper, but dragons are not built to whisper, so everyone heard.

"I shall speak to Rake. You go torment cows." Dragon flew off immediately, making his way to a pasture he commonly visited. "So Rake, what exactly is the problem? Rake entered the house again, turned to the drawing room, and plopped down on a chair.

"The bastard! First he takes something from my little girl that may well prevent her from marrying, and then he tells everyone he knows she's a whore!"

"What?! You may need to back up a little bit," Jane responded to the sudden outburst from Rake. Rake took a deep breath, and tried his best to calmly explain what had happened the previous night. "That is terrible! I have a question for you. How well do you know the local smith?"

"John? He and I were meeting to consider a marriage between his boy and Autumn. Well enough."

"Would you be seeing him anytime soon?"

"Yeah, I was going to tell him what happened to Autumn, so he could make a decision if he still wanted John Jr. to keep courting her."

"Very good. Now, when you go to speak to him, could you do me a favor?" Jane stepped over to a table, where a knife was sitting. "This is the kind of knife that her attacker used." Jane grabbed the hilt hard, and pulled on the metal, which slipped off, revealing a bone white core. She then unwrapped the hilt, which was covered in hide, to reveal that it was made of the same material. "Do you know what this is?"

Rake shook his head.

"Now you do. This is called a bone knife. It is constructed by taking a human pelvis, and carving it to such a shape. You then ask for a smith to make a metal blade that goes around the long part, here. This process makes a lightweight blade with a strong interior. The selling or possession of such a blade is illegal. Every may knight carry one, so that he or she can warn smiths not to construct the blade for something like this. When you speak to the smith, take this blade and ask if he has constructed something similar." Jane pressed the blade into his hand and sent him away. She then mounted Dragon after calling him to continue patrol.

Rake knocked on the door that led to John Smith's forge. He heard John call out an invitation to enter between the bangs of a hammer. When he entered, he saw that John was striking a pauldron into shape. John was around twenty five, with the strong build of any smith. He had auburn hair and a full beard, and stood about a hand taller than Rake. John Jr. was there as well, pounding on a horseshoe. John Jr. was like to John in every way but the beard, which had not yet grown in.

"Ah! Rake! I was just talking to Junior here that he should propose to your daughter sometime soon!" John said loudly, but with a booming voice like his, everything is loud.

"Perhaps you should finish what you're working on before we talk."

"Very well." John added a few more strokes to the pauldron, and then doused it in some water before setting it aside. Junior did the same, then both of them led Rake into the house, connected to the forge.

"Perhaps your wife should be present as well." John nodded in agreement, and then went to fetch Rebecca. When John returned with Rebecca, Rake began to tell them of what had happened two nights previous. John and Rebecca looked slightly worried, but Junior's face was that of abject horror.

"May I go to see her?" asked Junior, obviously worried.

"I do not see the harm in it." When Junior left the room, Rake then removed the blade from his pocket. "Have you ever made something like this?" inquired Rake.

"Why do you ask?"

"My wife and I grew up with Lady Jane-"

"Say no more. Yes, I did. It was about two years ago. I remember because it was such an odd request."

Rake took a deep breath, and explained what it was that he had made. "…and the weapon of choice for my daughter's rapist."

Rebecca began openly crying, and John seemed somewhat disturbed. "I will not be arrested, will I?"

"I do not think so; you did not know what it was, or what it might be used for. Remember, if you recall anything about this man, tell Jester, he will inform Jane when next he sees her."

John Jr. tentatively knocked on the door. He heard a quiet response from Autumn and took that as an invitation. He opened the door and stepped inside, followed by Drake. He took one look at Autumn, and ran to her side. Autumn normally was considered a beauty. She had high cheekbones, a pale face, hair like honey, red lips, and a curvy figure. Normally, she was pale, but healthily so. Now, she was as white as chalk.

"Oh, Autumn. What has he done to you?" John breathed ever so softly. There was no need to ask who 'he' was.

Autumn turned her head. "John." That one word caused John's heart to soar, for he felt behind it all the love and compassion he knew she felt for him. "It is okay if you do not wish to see me, for I am wretched."

"I never wish to cease seeing you, my heart. I want to see you when you wake, when you sleep, when you comb your hair, when you eat your food. You are not wretched, you are beautiful. You are like to heaven on earth, eternal bliss. Where I to have a thousand hours with you, it would not be enough. You are the woman who I wish to spend the rest of my life with, with your parents blessing. I love you, as I always have, and always will."

"Oh, John, I am fearful."

"For what, my sweet?"

"I can not stand without retching, and I feel as though I am being torn in two. All of the time, I feel hot and cold, at the same time. When mother brought me to Aunt Jane, I was fearful at every step that _he_ would attack us, and kill us both. I am fearful that your parents will not approve, as I am tainted, I am fearful my parents will not approve. I am fearful that I will die, yet fearful that I will live."

"Autumn, were your parents or mine to disapprove, I would not care. If you died, I would fight to the pearly gates of heaven to return you to my arms. If you live, I would protect you from all of your fears, as long as my heart beats on, for my heart belongs to you…"

The two of them went on for some time, telling each other how much they love each other, how they were the only one for each other, blah, blah, blah! Drake had an agreement with the Baker's son that the first one to get like his sister and John, or his other sister and the Baker's son's brother would get run through with a knife. And what was wrong with Autumn anyway? Why didn't she have to help with the work? Why did she get to lie in bed all day, cooing to her love bird? It wasn't fair!

**Author's note****: Thought I'd end this one on a bit of a lighter note. And what could be lighter than a kid complaining about his older sister?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note****: Might not post for a while. Girl Scout cookies are starting up this weekend. Definitely will post within three weeks.**

Pepper was in her daughter's room. John had long since been banished. Pepper once again felt her daughter's forehead. _Burning hot_, thought Pepper, _It's been burning for five days_. Since John had been rushed out, Autumn had been unconscious. _None of my remedies have worked! She won't eat; anything we give her she throws up. I only have one other option._ Pepper left the house in the direction of the castle.

"Hold, Pepper!" Pepper saw Jane running up to her and remained where she was. "Where are you going?"

"To the Wizard." Pepper began walking again, as Jane had now come up to her.

"Why, if I may ask?"

"For Autumn."

"Why, what's wrong with Autumn?" Pepper continued walking without a sound. "Dammit, Pepper! It used to be that you would tell me such things freely. Now I have to force it out of you! What is wrong with Autumn?"

"I would tell you such things freely before I was married. Before you attended not one of the Christening of my twelve children. Before my daughter was raped. Before you called me a bad mother for letting it happen!"

"Called you a…What? I never did such a thing!"

"Then what else would you be implying when you said I should keep a tighter hold on my daughters?"

"I implied nothing. It's just that two of the other three victims were from the same family. The rapist seems to enjoy bloodlines. It was just telling you to be careful!"

"Well, it didn't sound like it!"

Jane stopped Pepper. "Pepper, what is wrong with Autumn?"

"Nothing."

"If it was nothing, you wouldn't go to the Wizard; you would give her one of your remedies…unless you already had. What is wrong with her, Pepper?"

"She…has not woken for five days, since the boy who is courting her left. She has a fever, and she won't hold down the food we've tried to feed her. The last time I saw someone this bad was…"

"Yes?"

"After the battle you had with the assassins. But you woke up eventually."

Jane's face had become more and more worried as Pepper described Autumn's condition. When Pepper was finished, Jane swore so violently that it made Pepper go pale.

"Two of the other victims have died, and the third is sick with the same condition. I brought the wizard to the third girl, the tanner's daughter, when I heard that she was sick, and he has proclaimed it too late."

Pepper blanched further until she fainted. Jane caught her and sighed. She quickly carried Pepper to her home, told Remus, her son, to care for her, and set off at a dead run for the wizard's tower. Within minutes she had arrived at the castle gates where she was allowed in promptly, and continued to run. She sprinted through the practice yard, her feet beating to the pulse of Smithy's hammer, narrowly avoiding Sir Ivon and Sir Bedwyr sparring.

"Watch where yer goin', lass!"

"Sorry, Sir Ivon, but if I don't move fast I may lose a witness to a crime to which all other witnesses are dead."

"Why are ye talking to me, then, if a crime's been committed and yer losin' the witness!" Jane continued to run. She climbed the stairs with such speed that she herself was amazed, before pausing a moment and entering into the workshop of the most mysterious of the castle inhabitants.

"Close the door, girl, or the draft will ruin my experiment." Jane did as she was instructed, and walked over to the old man. The wizard was certainly the oldest person in the castle; Dragon didn't even call him shortlife the man was so old. He had a long beard, pure white, that cascaded down his thick robes ending in a pool at his feet. The entire room was filled with oddities: stuffed bats, tubes, beakers, a map of the stars. The man was huddled over a glass of a bubbling liquid. "The fourth girl is sick then?" Jane was taken aback, she had only told him of the first three.

"How did you-"

"The stars, my girl. The stars know all and tell me what they think is important." The Wizard then turned a knob, and the flame over which the substance boiled disappeared. "They have told me she is sick, and so I have made the solution to save her."

"If you will come with me then, sir?"

"Just one moment! I refuse to be hurried off before I fetch my hat! Sun is bad for the skin, you know, especially if you have all the Vitamin D you need." The man hobbled over to fetch one of his wide brimmed hats, and only then turned to the door. "Well, are we going to save the girl, or not?"

Jane opened the door and rushed him out of the tower, back across the practice yard, through the gates, down the road to the nearby town, and towards Pepper's house. The whole affair took over an hour, ten minutes of which was them speaking in his tower and Jane running from her house.

Jane helped the old man up the stairs to Autumn and three of her sister's shared bedroom. She arrived to see Summer kneeled next to her twin. "Move aside, girl, if you want your sister to live." The old man slowly knelt where Summer had been moments before, removed the concoction that he had prepared, and poured three drops into Autumn's open mouth. He then gently stroked her throat, causing her to swallow. Autumn, who had before been shaking, began to still. "The woman of the house has ten daughters still healthy?"

"Yes, lord, myself and my nine younger sisters," answered Summer.

"Three of you must be here at all times, but no more. One to give her three drops every three hours for three days, one to shoo away anyone wishing to see her, and one to fetch me should her condition worsen."

"Yes, lord. Sage, Spice, and Rosemary can deal with the inn, myself, Spring, Winter, Lily, Petunia, Rose, and Daisy can take care of her in shifts."

"See that it's done then, Summer. I'll take the Wizard back to his tower. Your mother should return soon, she fainted and my son Remus was been taking care of her until she came round." With these words, Jane began leading the Wizard back to his tower. As Jane was leaving the inn with the Wizard, Pepper burst in, flushed, and ran up the stairs to her daughter.

"Rake!" called out John Smith, seeing him pass by on the street. "Rake, I saw the man!" Rake quickly made his way toward the Smith lumbering towards him.

"Do not speak so loudly, someone may overhear and all would be lost!" Hissed Rake at the Smith.

"I apologize, but I saw the very man who purchased the bone knife blade!"

"Well, then, describe him to me!"

Rake listened intently to John, trying not to show his horror as the man who raped his daughter was described.

**Author's note****: I know at least six of you have read this chapter. Now, Kyra4 is my sole reviewer. Does this make sense to you? Not to me. I'll tell you what. I'll try **_**really hard**_** to get another chapter up before the end of the week if one person other than Kyra4 reviews me. No promises though.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note:** **two hours in as many days. that is how much sleep I'm running on. Someone besides Kyra4 reviewed, and inspriation struck. short chapter. We see Gunther, a little bit of Smithy. For those Harry Potter fans out there, Jane and Jester's son Remus is not named for Lupin. Romulus and Remus, twins, founders of Rome. I'm sure creative with names! (sarcasm)**

Jane walked into the practice yard. _I have not been here often enough_, she thought as she began to don her armor, _Since that pile of raped the Miller's daughters, I have not had enough damn time to patrol and practice and find the bastard son of a bog-weevil._

As she was strapping on her pauldron with the help of a squire (Jane noted with pleasure that it was one of the nobles' daughters) she noticed out of the corner of her eye that another armored figure approached. The knight wore no helm, cradling it under one arm while holding a blunt sword in the other. "Care to spar, Sir Jane?" called the sneering voice. Gunther tried exceedingly hard to hide the pain in his voice: he had never gotten over Jane and simply asking her to spar had become a challenge since she chose Jester twelve years ago, not long after they were both knighted.

"Anytime, Sir Gunther, Anytime you feel like finding yourself in the dirt."

"To the contrary, I think we might find _you _in the dirt."

At those words, Jane fiercely lunged at Gunther. Gunther sword quickly came up to meet hers, but he was surprised at the strength behind the attack. It had been so long since they had sparred that he forgot how powerful those small arms were. He turned her blade and returned with a feint to the right, quickly turning it around and striking on the left. Jane had foreseen this, and parried to meet his blade. The two moved in symmetry, neither gaining ground nor losing, lodged in their deadly dance; the blades may have been blunted, but they could still kill a man. Neither of the combating knights noticed when a crowd began to form around them. Mostly it was knights who had stopped their own fights so as to watch two of the best knights in the land squaring off.

Gunther had always been stronger, and as he had grown he had become even more so, but Jane was quick, and she had learned how to put that to her advantage. The longer the two fought, the more both seemed to be tiring. Gunther struck just a little late, Jane parried like her arm had turned to lead, but both still fought on like no other knights could match. Smithy became interested and took a quick glance, but when he realized it was Jane and Gunther, he went back to work

As Jane attacked with an arch, Gunther blocked, but the two found their blades locked. At that moment, Jane knew that she would lose this fight unless she managed to get out of this.

"I hear you've finally married," Jane grunted through clenched teeth.

"Yes, for a few months now," Gunther responded.

"Any children on the way?" Jane asked politely.

"Not yet, but hopefully soon," replied Gunther, and as he was distracted thinking of his wife, Jane managed to twirl away, overbalancing Gunther and sending him crashing to the ground. She whipped her blade around, putting the point just above his heart.

"Dead," she announced, and the surrounding knights began to cheer for the two combatants. Jane let her sword fall to the side and offered Gunther a hand up. It may have just been long enough since the week after Princess Lavinia's death for them to be friends. Jane was thoroughly exhausted from the extended battle, and went over to have the same squire as before help her out of the armor that was pressing against her skin.

"Excuse me, pardon me, excuse me, please move out of the way, coming through, looking for my wife, excuse me," Jane could hear her husband trying to get through the knights that were gathered around the practice yard. Finally, Romulus gave up and waited for Jane to find him, as the knights would move if she asked them to. Jane came running back, wearing the light padding and leggings that she had worn almost constantly since twenty years ago when she became a squire. "Jester, you have need of me?"

"Yes, Jane. Rake just came to me with disturbing news. Perhaps we could talk somewhere more private?"

"Of course." The two began moving quickly for the stables, for since Rake and Pepper had left, the stables were the only truly private place left in the castle. The strong odor that affronted them proved that Smithy's apprentice had been slacking off of late. "What news from Rake? Is Autumn okay?"

"Autumn is doing better since the wizard came, but that was not his news. It seems that John Smith not only recognized the purchaser of the bone knife, but _saw him on the street. _The man lives in town, Jane. He frequents many taverns, but a few nights ago he decided to try a new tavern. Jane, this was the man who propositioned Autumn that next night after he…"

"Oh god. Well, we have found the man. I will assemble a discrete group of knights to have him arrested. Thank you, Romulus." She barely got the words out before Romulus reached up to kiss her. Jane had grown to be taller than Romulus around 16, later than most girls. This made it so that she had to lean down a bit for Romulus to actually reach her. His lips just found hers for a moment before they parted, Jane to fetch the rest of the knights she would bring, Romulus to get back to Remus and Janet.

As Romulus left the castle, storm clouds swiftly came up from the sea, enveloping the town and castle in rain and thunder.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note****: You think, 'this may be the last chapter for this story.' Oh, how wrong you are.**

Jane immediately went back to the practice yard. "Gunther, I want you and your squire to be ready to go in half an hour. You, him, me, and four more knights will ride out." She swiftly chose those who could keep their mouths shut. If any asked her what they were doing, she would tell them it would be explained on the way there and shot them a look, daring them to challenge her.

As they rode out, she explained the situation quickly. Up till then, only Sir Ivon knew she had been investigating something, but even he didn't know what exactly. The knights wore a common look of horror as they rode into town. They swiftly located the house the man stayed at. Jane knocked on the door, belting "Open in the name of the king!" a man fitting the description opened the door. Jane detained him and she and three knights searched the house for the bone knife, not finding it on his person, leaving Gunther to handle him.

They found no bone knife, but the oddity is that it seemed as though several men lived here, not just the one. All of the neighbors reported only one man. Jane went back to the man with Gunther. "What is your name, pig," Jane demanded of the apprehended man. He at first looked like he wouldn't answer, but he soon decided against it.

"Silvius."

"An honorable name, one you don't deserve."

"What, if I may ask, am I being charged with?"

"You are being charged with the rape of four girls," Jane replied coldly.

"I have done n-"

"Where is the knife?"

"You took my knife."

"Not that knife. The bone knife."

"Bone knife?" He answered questioningly.

Jane sighed. "A knife with a hollow blade and a bone core. Where is it?"

"Marcus has a blade like that."

"Marcus? Who is Marcus?"

"Marcus is my twin brother. We often try to make people think we are one person. Does this have anything to do with that girl in the inn? Because I didn't touch her."

"Someone did. Someone raped that girl the night before." Silvius went pale as these words came out of Jane's mouth.

"I…I didn't kn-"

"Where is Marcus?"

"He left a few hours ago. He said he was going to market, but he headed toward the woods."

Jane cursed. Louder, she called to the men in the house. "It is no use. The man we are after fled into the woods hours ago. This man still needs to be detained, but the squire should do."

Gunther handed the man off to his squire, and the knights rode in the direction indicated by Silvius after Marcus. Within a few hours, they had traveled little over a league. Marcus was an expert at disguising his tracks, it seemed, and it took much effort from all of the knights to make any progress on his trail. Jane inwardly cursed the time it was taking them; Marcus had a head start that they had to deal with. Jane thought that she recognized the path they were taking, but was not sure how that could be.

Jane took a few more steps before she realized where they were going. She called back to her knights, explaining her plan.

"Jane, if you are wrong…" Gunther cautioned her.

"We will lose him, but if I am right, we may be able to make up for lost time." Gunther looked at her, sighed, and the company continued on, this time not even looking down for tracks.

When they neared their destination, Jane cautioned them to be silent, and to leave the horses where they were. The four knights snuck through the underbrush, barely making a sound as they circled the wide clearing. The clearing was devoid of any vegetation, and the ground was empty of animal tracks except for the most vicious of all. The trees were still, the forest silent, as though remembering the atrocities that had happened here.

A man very similar to the one that had been left in the town knelt over something indistinguishable. As Jane continued forward, slowly what he knelt over came into crystal clarity, and Jane stifled a gasp as she saw the flowing black hair mingled with the brown dirt and red blood.

**Author's note****: As a reader, I hate cliffhangers. As a writer, I find them delectable.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note****: Not the end. I swear it to be true. I don't know why, but I felt the distinct urge to post on my birthday. Please review.**

The knights continued to encircle Marcus, and finally, with a look from Jane, all jumped out to fully ensnare him. Marcus heard the sound, and sprung up bringing the lifeless body up with him. He immediately put the bone knife against her throat. "You move, and the innkeeper's wife dies."

"Calm down, Marcus, we don't want to hurt you." She took a step closer. The man did not believe her. Marcus was a dead ringer for Silvius, even wearing the same clothes as Silvius. But Marcus' eyes burned with a madness that consumed his soul. "Just let Pepper go."

"Pepper? You know the woman. Then I would advise you to STAND BACK and DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"

Jane slowly took another step.

Marcus drew the knife closer to Pepper's limp throat, drawing a small line of blood. "You're killing her!"

"Alright, look, I'm backing up." Jane took a few short steps back and placed her sword on the ground, swiftly to be joined by the swords of the other four knights. "There, look, we are unarmed."

Marcus began to slowly move, half dragging the unconscious Pepper. As he exited the circle, Jane noticed that there was a long gash running just above the hips, as though he was…in a flash she realized that the villain planned on making Pepper into a knife. Marcus was now nearing the edge of the clearing. He turned quickly and began to run pell-mell through the forest, dropping Pepper, but no sooner than he had taken a step than Gunther twirled around, removing his already strung bow and an arrow and sending it flying through the air to land in the man's leg.

Marcus fell into the dirt, the blood from his wound mingling with Pepper's.

"Jane, we must bring Pepper to the castle-" Gunther started.

"No, Gunther, did you not see the depth of that wound? If we were to move her, she may bleed out. Sir Edward, stay with Pepper, Sir William, bind the villain and bring him to the castle. Sir Joseph, aid Sir William. Gunther, you will come with me into town where we will meet your squire. You will then go up to the castle and fetch the wizard. Bring him to this spot as soon as possible. I will fetch Rake."

Sirs Edward, William, and Joseph bowed their heads in recognition, but Gunther protested. "Jane, why would you fetch Rake?"

"Rake may be an innkeeper, but he used to be a gardener, and-"

"The three people who know most of medicine are wizards, chefs, and gardeners." He finished her thought. Both took off at a run toward town, arriving in a fraction of the time it took for them to find the clearing. They came to Gunther's Squire, Robert, and they split ways. Jane continued to run towards the Green Dragon Inn, hoping desperately that Rake was not out.

As she arrived, she saw that he was heading out. "Rake! Grab your medicinal herbs!"

"Why? If someone is injured, you should speak to Pepper."

"Rake, _Pepper_ has been injured." Rake bolted at these words and reappeared in moments with a small bag.

"Come on! Where is she?"

"Follow me, Rake"

Jane was one of the fastest runners in the kingdom, but Rake kept up with her nonetheless, because he was fueled by love of a wife, love of the mother of his children, and Jane ran for the sake of a friend. They arrived in the clearing, finding Pepper still unconscious and Sir Edward attempting to apply pressure.

"Pepper!" Rake leapt forward over the mostly decomposed log. He immediately began to tend to her, pulling out plants, sprinkling them over the wound, and binding them. By the time he was done, most of her bleeding had stopped, but she was much paler than normal.

Finally, Jane heard the crashing of the Wizard through the undergrowth If it had not been such a solemn moment, she might have laughed. The Wizard was obviously upset about being marched through a forest, and his robes were torn in some places and twigs were everywhere, especially in his beard. After mumbling for a few moments on the youth of today, he came to Pepper's side, elbowing Rake out of the way. After a few moments of inspecting Rakes handiwork, he nodded in satisfaction, dealt with the much smaller wound on her neck, and began to chant, waving something in the air that smelled terrible. After a few moments, he stood, dusting himself off and trying to get some twigs out of his beard.

"What happened here?" The Wizard asked, addressing Jane.

"A man had brought Pepper her, and I think he was planning on making her into a bone knife.'

"That is not what I mean, and you know it."

"This is where the assassins that killed Princess Lavinia had hidden-"

"-and where Jane almost died, sir," added Gunther. The Wizard looked intrigued. "There, where Pepper is, that's where I found Jane. She was bleeding from many wounds, and I found her, and tried my best to tend them. She obviously lived, but barely."

As Gunther spoke, Jane flexed some of her back muscles, finding the place where the muscle hadn't healed just right, leaving a permanent scar and some missing muscle, making it tight. Jane had heard this story before, and every time she felt as though she might have made the wrong choice, but then she remembered Jester, at home, and the moment passed.

"That makes sense," The Wizard responded. "I felt that it was not the first time that a woman lay injured there, and then was tended by her love. If Jane had died, twelve years ago, Pepper might have today, but since Jane lived, I have high hopes for Pepper." The three knights present used their shields as a temporary stretcher and began to carry her through the forest, back to the inn.

"Are you sure you and your daughters can take care of her?" asked Jane when they arrived at the Green Dragon Inn.

"I can tend bandages, Jane. I did put them in place the first time."

"Of course. I do hope she recovers soon."

"So do I."

Jane and Gunther headed back to the castle, where they knew that they would have to question not only the guilty Marcus, but the innocent Silvius. Jane fetched her father, who hesitated every time he heard that his daughter would be questioning someone. It was a side of her he could do without. Marcus maintained his innocence for a long time, but he finally broke, admitting to everything. He then added that his brother was innocent. At Silvius' turn, he pledged his own innocence, but as much as Jane hated it, she was not allowed to stop questioning the man until he admitted his 'guilt'.

At almost midnight, Jane stumbled out of the dungeon exhausted, barely making it to her home before collapsing.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note****: Very short chapter. I think it's funny, if you agree, please review!**

Autumn woke, and as her eyes flickered open, she saw Summer knitting over her. "Oh, good! You're awake. The Wizard said it might be a few days, but it was only two! You had us worried for a few days, forehead burning with fever as it was. Dad was really worried about you and Mom both."

"Mom?" Autumn asked, not sure entirely what was going on.

"Look across from you, silly! Though none of us know what happened. Dad and Aunt Jane just rode in with her on a few of the knights' shields. She had a horrible gash just above her hip, but she's doing fine. Aunt Jane says it's a miracle."

"Was it…all a dream Summer? Was it just the fever?"

Summer set down her knitting. "No Autumn. It wasn't a dream. But consider this: you still have a man that loves you, and would fight to the ends of the Earth for you, you have parents who care for you, and a sister to rely on. None of us care what happened, we care that you are okay. John, I know this for a fact, plans on asking you to marry him the moment that you can get out of bed. I hope you say yes, and get married quickly too, so that I may then marry Jacob Baker."

"Has he asked you? We have all known he would for a long time, but…" The two continued to speak of such things for a long time. Neither of them noticed when their mother's eyes opened, slowly. Pepper at first thought to make her state known, but she thought better of it, leaving them to their frivolities. She knew she had been in grave danger, but any alarm she might have had melted when her gaze fell on her eldest daughters. Carefully, Rake slipped into the room. Neither of the girls noticed. He sunk into a chair placed just in front of the bed Pepper found herself on and took her hand.

Rake whispered in her ear, "Sage, Rosemary, and Spice don't know what to make for supper. The customers are sick of roast boar." Ah, the life of a mother, of an innkeeper. Ah, the life of a chef!


End file.
